BMD’s unique incrementally launched composite bridge in Western Australia wins industry award
BMD Constructions’ Treendale Bridge over the Collie River was awarded for infrastructure excellence at the Civil Contractors Federation WA Earth Awards held over the weekend.
The 224-metre bridge was one of the first incrementally launched composite bridges of this size anywhere in Western Australia. The bridge was delivered 160 kilometres south of Perth, connecting the growth suburbs of Millbridge and Treendale.
Although the incremental launch technique is not exceedingly common in of itself, the additional innovation came in the form of pouring the bridge deck prior to launch. Generally, with this type of bridge construction, the steel beams are pushed out over the piers and the concrete deck is poured when the steel beams are in place.
For the Treendale Bridge over the Collie River, the deck was constructed using precast panels with a cast in situ structural concrete roadway on top. The cast in situ concrete northbound and southbound carriageways were cast individually, prior to each launching stage. The northbound and southbound carriageway decks were then connected by a concrete stitch pour after fully launching both northbound and southbound segments and after lowering of the superstructure sections onto the permanent bearings. Watch the time lapse to see this launch method in action.
Through a collaborative relationship with the client, and the engineering and construction excellence exhibited by the high performing project team, an adaptive and creative approach was applied to overcoming technical challenges with revised methodologies. The result was a high-quality finish to meet specification requirements, while achieving completion almost one month ahead of the anticipated practical completion date. This was well received by the local community, with the bridge delivering a saving of half the previous travel time for residents to cross the river.
The bridge wasn’t the only legacy left for the region, BMD successfully managed the technically complex bridge construction by engineering safety solutions to reduce risk, achieving 74,191 hours lost time injury free and with zero medically treated incidents. BMD’s commitment to Zero Harm and high safety expectations resulted in a positive flow on effect to local subcontractors.
As the Category 4 (project valued $10 million to $30 million) winner, the Treendale Bridge over the Collie River project will now progress to the National Earth Awards, to be presented at a gala awards night in Canberra on 16 November.
